Perfect Princess Marco
by Queen Reverie
Summary: In order to save his family, Marco agrees to return to St. Olga's after its recapture and become Heinous' model princess. During his time there, he learns of a deeper, darker secret that lies underneath the surface of the school and just what Heinous is truly trying to accomplish.
1. Perfect Princess Marco

**Summary: In order to save his family, Marco agrees to return to St. Olga's after its recapture and become Heinous' model princess. During his time there, he learns of a deeper, darker secret that lies underneath the surface of the school and just what Heinous is truly trying to accomplish.**

* * *

"Hey there, little buddy," Marco cooed as he picked his baby brother up from the crib. "Having a good day? Did you miss me?" he asked happily, glad to see the child. He knew his brother was far too young to remember him, especially since he was not around that often, but he liked to believe the boy still knew he was family.

The baby gazed up at his namesake, babbling happily as he grabbed the draw strings to his brother's hoodie and pulled them into his mouth.

"Alright, let's get you some real food." Marco pulled the strings from Junior's mouth as he exited the nursery. Making his way downstairs to the kitchen, he suddenly felt the whole house shake.

Using one arm to grab the stair railings, he steadied himself as a thunderous crashing sound quickly followed, startling the young infant in his arms.

"Mom?! Dad?!" Marco called out worryingly, trying to soothe his crying brother as he raced down the stairs into the kitchen.

He gasped at the sight before him.

The room was in utter ruins with a gaping hole left where the north-facing wall once stood. Debris was scattered all over the place as his parents lay on the floor, unmoving and very clearly injured much to his horror.

Standing at the massive opening was none other than Miss Heinous.

"You!" Marco cried, shifting his brother so he could carry him with one arm. "What are you doing here?!"

"Why, I'm here for you, Marco Turdina," Heinous spoke in an eerily calm tone as a twisted smile graced her features. "You and I have unfinished business to settle."

"This again?!" How many times was the crazy old hag going to hunt him down? Regardless, he had defeated her plenty of times before and he was more than willing to do it again.

Before Marco could even move, he felt a tugging coming from his pant leg.

"M-Marco…?"

Looking down, said boy saw his mother slowly pulling herself up, clearly in pain.

"Mom, take it easy." Marco immediately knelt down, helping her into a sitting position. "You're hurt."

"Your brother, is he okay?" Angie asked in her daze.

"He's fine, he's right here." Marco pushed the infant into her arms, keeping his eye on Heinous. He would not put it past her to strike while his back was turned. "Don't worry, Mom. I'll take care of this." Standing tall, he turned back to face the uninvited woman.

With a cry, Marco ran forward, ready to swing his fist right into Heinous' smug face. Before he could reach her, the woman suddenly grabbed his arm, sending him flying into the wall with a simple flick of her wrist.

Marco was stunned as he fell to the ground. There was something different about Heinous. Had she always been this strong? He had never fought her directly himself, always taking her on with some help from Star or other princesses. The one time he had actually thrown a hit at her had been her last visit to his home, in which she refused to fight back to make him look worse in front of his parents.

Pulling himself together, Marco quickly charged forward once more. His efforts were futile as Heinous merely side-stepped him with her hands behind her back, almost mocking him as she raised an eyebrow.

Heinous continued dodging the boy's blows with ease, waiting patiently for the teen to slip up. Finally spotting her opening, she quickly brought her knee up and struck Marco forcefully in the chest, knocking the wind out of him.

Marco crumpled to the ground, trying to catch his breath. Before he even had the chance to recover, Heinous reached down and grabbed him by the back of his hoodie. In a split second, he was sent flying through the air, making impact with what remained of the kitchen wall once more.

Lifting the skirt of her dress to step over the debris, Heinous walked into the Diaz household, coming to a stop in front of Angie.

Trying to both reach her fallen son and get away from the deranged woman, Angie did her best to stand but found herself unable to do so as a searing pain shot through her leg. Determined to protect her children, she began crawling away.

Scoffing at the pitiful sight before her, Heinous reached down and forcefully pulled the crying Marco Jr. from Angie's arms.

"No! Stop! My baby! Give me back my baby!" Desperate to save her child, Angie began clawing at Heinous' legs. "Give me my ba-" her words were silenced when Heinous reached down and wrapped her fingers around her neck, lifting her into the air as if she weighed nothing. She found herself choking, gasping for breath as the headmistress' grip tightened against her neck.

Seeing his mother and brother in Heinous' grasp sent Marco flying into a blind rage. "Let them go!" he demanded, ignoring his injuries to charge at the woman head-on. In his desperation, he threw all tact and planning out the window, practically screaming as he tried his best to free his mother. He threw more punches, kicks, and even resorted to simply trying to pry Heinous' hands off his mother's neck, all to no avail. Each time, he was simply sent flying back against the kitchen wall. He did not stand a chance against the older woman; she was simply too strong.

"What do you want?!" Marco finally shouted in frustration, tears welling in his eyes as he watched his mother's face slowly turn blue.

Heinous smirked, releasing her grip on Angie's neck just enough to allow the woman to take a breath. "I already told you, Turdina, I'm here for you. You're going to come with me. You are going back to my school to set things straight. You're going to become the perfect little princess and help me crush the rebellious spirits of the other princesses once and for all!"

Though Heinous had succeeded in retaking her school, she had not been quite as successful in restoring order. The princesses were locked up and under control, but were rather unreceptive to her reconditioning. Almost every class ended with a lockdown as the girls would all rile each other up, chanting Princess Turdina's name and message as they were dragged away to their rooms. The princesses would stay up all night, banging on their bedroom doors, demanding freedom. They had lost all respect for her as headmistress and her school's already precarious reputation was on the line.

Under any other circumstance, Heinous would have simply taken Marco's head and mounted it as a trophy in the school; a reminder to all the other princesses of what she would do to anyone who disobeyed her. Being the face of a 'revolution,' she knew killing Turdina would only backfire on her. The other princesses would turn Marco into a martyr and she would lose her only remaining chance to restore her school to its former glory.

"Never!" Marco refused.

"Very well, then." Heinous resumed her vice-grip on Angie's neck, ignoring the woman's coughing and suffocated sputterings. "I suppose I'll just have to take this one then," she motioned to the wailing infant in her arms, "and condition them instead. You two look remarkably similar and it would be so much easier to turn this little one into a princess from the start. Why, in just a few years he'll be ready to be the new face of Princess Turdina; one I can easily control. I'll just dispose of you and your parents and be on my way."

Marco was absolutely horrified at the prospect of his beloved little brother growing up under Heinous' care. She would scrub all aspects of his personality from him before they even had a chance to take root. He would grow and live in a cruel, cold, unloving home, never knowing his real family.

He could not let that happen.

"Let them go!" Marco made one last attempt to strike the headmistress only to be pathetically kicked away in his already weakened and injured state.

It was hopeless. Marco could not do it. He could not fight off Heinous. He could not save his family. His mother was starting to go limp in her grasp and he knew he did not have much time left. "Stop! I'll do it! I'll go with you back to St. Olga's! I'll be your perfect princess, just...just don't hurt them."

Heinous released her grip on Angie, allowing the woman to crumple to the ground in a heap. Gently setting the infant on the ground beside the collapsed human, she loudly called, "Guards! Collect the princess!"

Marco wanted to rush to his mother's side to make sure both she and his brother were okay, but found himself surrounded by Heinous' robot guards.

Drawing a pair of dimensional scissors from her dress, Heinous cut open a portal and stepped to the side, making room for her robots and newest student to pass through. She did not bother to hide the victorious smile on her face.

"Marco!" Angie shouted, reaching for her older son as he was grabbed by the robots and pulled towards the portal.

"Don't worry, Mom!" Marco called behind him, trying his best to fight against the guards as he was dragged away from his mother. "I'll be back soon, you'll see!"

"Marco!" Angie broke down in tears as she watched her boy disappear into the portal. Clutching her younger child to her chest, she gazed up in terror at Heinous.

"Don't look at me like that, you brought this on yourself." Heinous turned her back to the crying mother as she prepared to step through the portal herself. "Consider this a lesson. Perhaps you'll do better job parenting your second child."

* * *

"Gemini, prepare the solitary conform-ment chamber!" Heinous ordered as soon as they stepped into the castle halls.

Marco instantly panicked at her words, digging the heels of his sneakers into the intricate carpet in a futile attempt to stop the guards dragging him along. "No! Not that! Anything but that!" He knew first-hand what happened to anyone unfortunate enough to be sent to the chamber and was terrified of the idea of becoming a mindless zombie. "You don't have to brainwash me, I can be a princess without the chamber! Please!"

Heinous held her hand up, silently ordering the guards to stop. Perhaps it would do her well not to put the boy through the chamber. It was easy to tell when someone had gone through the conforment process with the dead eyes, unrelenting smile, and never-changing tone of voice all serving as dead giveaways. If she forcefully wiped Marco's individuality away, the other princesses would treat it no differently than if she had actually killed him. On the other hand, if they saw Marco willingly partake in the lessons, respect authority, and model the perfect princess, they would be devastated. Their hopes of rebellion and rescue would be crushed as their precious leader conformed to her standards.

"Very well," Heinous turned sharply to face Marco, "but any slip-ups and you're going straight into the chamber! Is that clear?!"

"Yes!" Marco breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yes, what?!"

"Yes, Miss Heinous!" He quickly responded, not wanting to do anything that would change the woman's mind.

"Never forget, Earth is just one portal away. One wrong move and your family will pay the price for your insolence. Understand?"

"Yes, Miss Heinous."

"Good! You start classes tomorrow." Heinous turned her attention to the robot guards restraining Marco. "Put our newest student in the room next to mine. I want to keep an extra close eye on her."

* * *

Marco sat alone in what was now his bedroom, arms wrapped around himself as he unsuccessfully resisted the urge to cry. He could not stop thinking about his family, wondering if they were okay. His father was still unconscious when he left, leaving him with no idea what condition the man was in or if he was even still alive. His mother took a pretty serious beating herself and would no doubt need some medical attention. At least his brother was okay.

Under other circumstances he might have taken the time to appreciate the luxurious accommodations, but not even the silken bedspreads, classical paintings, rich lacquered furniture, or intricately woven floor rugs could take his mind off his current predicament.

He had no idea what was going to happen now. He had only ever been in St. Olga's for short periods of time and never under Heinous' control. Who knew what the crazed woman had in store for him.

Marco's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

The door swung open as Heinous marched in, unwilling to wait for an invitation into the room. She had a small, unlabeled bottle in her hand. Without a word, she made her way over to the boy and uncapped the bottle, dumping the contents onto his head.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" Marco demanded, trying to pull away from the woman as she began rubbing whatever that strange liquid was into his hair. "What is that?!"

"Stop being so dramatic, I'm just fixing your hair. I don't care how cute this haircut of yours is, it's not fit for a princess!"

Though he was unsatisfied with the answer, Marco let it go. What choice did he have?

When she finally stopped, he immediately ran his hands through his hair, only to find it perfectly dry. What was that? What did she do to him?

Heinous snapped her fingers, stepping out of the way as a robot pushed a meal cart into the room. "I have a special task for you tomorrow and I want you up bright and early. And I better not see any of this," she motioned to Marco's reddened, clearly crying eyes, "in the morning! Now eat up and get some rest."

Before Marco could say anything, she was gone, slamming the door to his room shut loudly behind her.

* * *

"Good morning, Princess Marco!"

Marco slowly cracked an eye open, suddenly jumping up and jerking away when he realized just how close Gemini was to him. As he scooted back, his head was suddenly yanked to the right, causing him to lose his balance and tumble off the backside of the bed.

Gemini quickly scurried around the canopy bed with a look of concern on his face. "Princess Marco, are you alright?"

Ignoring the small, trollish man, Marco sat up and looked down, shocked to find his hair long and flowing past his waist. Was this because of what Heinous rubbed onto his head last night? He must have accidentally caught it under his hand while scooting away, explaining the yanking sensation he had felt.

Looking over the bed, he saw several of the guards marching in, each carrying in items to set the room. Dresses, shoes, boxes of beauty products, clean linens, and a bowl of fresh fruit were among the several things brought in.

"What's going on?" he asked, finally acknowledging Gemini's presence.

"It's time to begin your first day at St. Olga's," Gemini answered, a little too happily for Marco's liking. "Miss Heinous has generously provided you with everything you need."

"Well, I'll be sure to thank her," Marco sarcastically responded, already dreading what was to come in the next few hours.

Collecting himself off the floor, Marco strolled over to the closet and inspected the many different dresses he had to choose from. While they were gorgeous and made only of the richest and softest fabrics, Marco could not help but be slightly creeped out.

They were all his exact size. How did Heinous know?

Choosing not to think about it too much, Marco selected a light lavender dress. Preparing to disrobe he stopped, noticing Gemini was still in the room, staring straight at him. "Uh...do you need something?"

"Would you like some assistance?"

"You know what, I think I'm good. I, uh...I think I got this." Marco had always been creeped out by Heinous' little henchman, but this just took the cake.

"Very well. I shall be outside if you need me."

* * *

"What are you doing?!" Heinous practically gasped at Marco the moment he stepped out of his room.

"...what?" Marco was genuinely confused by her overreaction. He had literally just walked out of the room, what could he have possible done?

"What is with your makeup?!" Heinous demanded, feeling her anger rise so early in the morning. "You really think I'm going to let you walk around my school looking like some cheap hooker?!"

Marco had no idea what was wrong or in what ways his painted face made him look like a prostitute. "I've never done my own makeup," he confessed. Every time he had worn makeup, Star or Ponyhead had done it for him. He knew nothing about it. He was not even sure what half the products lining the vanity in his room were for. It did not make any sense to him; how much makeup could one person possibly need?

"And what are these?!" Heinous lifted the skirt of Marco's dress up an inch, revealing the sneakers he wore underneath.

"...my shoes?"

Heinous gave an aggravated sigh. Turning Marco into the perfect princess was going to take much longer than she had originally thought. "Gemini, see to it Princess Marco is enrolled in our cosmetology class. As for you," she grabbed Marco's shoulders, turning him around and marching him right back into his room, "I'm fixing that hideous face of yours!"

* * *

Nervous did not even begin to describe how Marco felt as he approached the classroom. Maybe it was the restrictive corset cutting off his air flow. Maybe his feet were just slow to move because of the uncomfortable heels Heinous had forced him to change into. Maybe it was because the headmistress herself along with an entourage of her guards was following close behind him, ready to step-in if he made even one wrong move.

Marco was downright terrified.

Heinous opened the door, pushing Marco into the class. "Not one foot out of line, Turdina," she hissed through her teeth.

Quietly shuffling to an open seat in the back, Marco did his best to keep out of sight of the other princesses. He could feel Heinous glaring holes into his back as he stumbled several times, unaccustomed to walking in heeled shoes.

The boy's efforts were futile as he was soon spotted, made aware of this fact by a gasp coming from within the room.

"It's Princess Turdina!"

In a second, Marco found himself suddenly swarmed by princesses, each eagerly trying to speak to him.

"She's here!"

"She's going to save us all!"

"What's the plan, Turdina?! Are we breaking out?!"

Marco was silent as his eyes shifted about the group of young ladies; all friends he knew by name and all eagerly looking to him for help. His throat was dry, leaving only weak sputtering noises coming from his lips. He wanted so badly to kick the table in front of him over and rise up against Heinous once more, but he knew this was not an option. At least it was not if he wanted to keep his parents and brother safe. He could see Heinous watching him from the doorway of the class.

Finally finding the strength to speak, Marco did his best to sound convincing, "No, it's time for class now. You should all sit down."

Another series of gasps came from the girls, this time less excited and more horrified.

"No! She got to him! Heinous threw him in the chamber!"

Princess Ram suddenly pushed forward through the cluster of girls and grabbed Marco's face, looking deeply into his eyes. "No..." her expression turned to one of dejection as she saw life shining in the boy's eyes. "She didn't. Turdina is still here." This was not a fake confession video or a soulless puppet speaking. These were Marco's own words.

Torn as he found himself surrounded by heart-broken princesses, Marco continued, "It's our duty to be princesses our kingdoms and families can be proud of."

"Turdina, no…" Ram let go of his face, stepping away in horror.

"It is criminal to be an individual," Marco forced out the words as he looked down at his feet, unable to meet the gaze of any princess in the room.

"Everyone to your seats! Class is starting!" Heinous finally barked, satisfied the princesses knew Turdina would not be their rebellious leader anymore. She motioned the guards into the room, pointing to the cluster of royals.

In less than a minute, the group of girls was broken up as each princess was forcefully ushered into her seat.

Trying not to notice the glares and devastated looks being sent his way, Marco picked up the steaming cup of tea set in front of him and prepared to follow along with the instructor.

* * *

Dragging the massive poster behind him, Marco gave an aggravated sigh as he threw it into the huge pile of Princess Turdina merchandise.

That was the last of it.

Heinous' 'special task' had been for him to drag everything out of the Hall of Turdina and into the courtyard for destruction. Though she had phrased it as being some kind of a chore, Marco was not fooled. She did not want him to clean out the hall; her robot guards and the school's groundskeepers were more than capable of doing that.

No, she wanted to put on a show. She wanted to send a message to the other girls.

He knew it was no coincidence that she had specifically ordered him to dump all the merchandise directly under the dormitory windows, well within view of the other princesses, or that she had demanded he do so in the evening when the princesses would be confined to their rooms. Marco could see them all crowded at the windows, faces pressed against the glass as they watched him curiously, unaware of what was to happen next.

With a frown, Marco struck a match and threw it directly into the pile, watching as the materials quickly went up in flames. Turning back to the girls, he could see the various shocked and horrified expressions on their faces.

It broke his heart to see them turn away, crushed by his betrayal and the reality he would not rise up to save them once more. As much as he wanted to comfort them and give them words of hope, he knew there was not anything he could do or say to make them feel better. Much like him, they were trapped.

No one could save them now.

* * *

"Can I eat with the other princesses?" Marco asked hopefully, though he already knew what the answer would be. He had been rather disappointed to hear he would be taking his dinner with Heinous in her office. His day had been just one miserable moment after another; all he wanted was a break from the evil woman.

He had sat through several classes, enduring endless criticism by Heinous and the school instructors over even the smallest infractions. He needed to stop touching his face, he was ruining his make-up. Don't fidget with your dress, don't adjust your corset in public, don't take your shoes off, don't blow on your tea, don't play with your hair. He could not seem to do anything right!

His feet were aching from having spent the past few hours mindlessly marching up and down the halls, all under orders from Heinous to practice walking in heels. Though he was glad to finally have a chance to sit, he had been hoping to do so with the other girls. At least then he would have some friendly faces to talk to.

"You can eat with the other princesses when you learn to eat like a princess. Now sit up straight!" Heinous scolded, grabbing Marco's arm and pulling him up from his slouching position. There was no way she was going to let the boy interact with the other girls in his current, uncivilized state. Though the little performance she had him put on had all but crushed any last remaining spark of rebellion in the girls' spirits, she was not going to take any chances. Any mistake by the boy could easily be interpreted by the girls as an act of rebellion. He was going to need at least a few more weeks worth of lessons before she felt comfortable enough to allow him around the other students. "And get your elbows off the table! Where did you learn to eat, in a barn?!"

"Come, Princess Turdina, eat some more," Gemini encouraged, getting a little too close for the boy's liking.

"Gemini, give him some room!" Heinous forcefully shoved her right-hand man away, well aware of the ridiculous crush he had on the boy. Gemini thought he was being clever, but she knew what he was doing. She saw him scooting his chair closer to Marco every time the boy princess looked away.

Relieved to finally have some space, Marco picked up his fork and began twirling some pasta onto it. Before he could even bring the food to his mouth, the utensil was knocked out of his hand.

"Smaller bites, Turdina! You don't have to shove it in your mouth all at once, it's not going to run away!"

As amazing as the food looked and smelled, Marco could not eat like this. "I'm actually kind of full. May I be excused?"

"Very well. Straight to your room, then."

* * *

Sleep came much harder for Marco that night. He had supplemented his small dinner with several pieces of fruit from his room, but it was not hunger keeping him up.

The boy could not stop thinking about his family.

Getting up from the bed, Marco fiddled with the doorknob, trying to get it open to no avail. Even if he had found it unlocked, he would not know what to do. It was not like he could run away or had someplace in the school he could go.

Defeated, he returned to his bed, hoping tomorrow would be a better day.

* * *

 **Review please!**


	2. Perfect Prince Tom

**Welcome back!**

* * *

 _Several Months Later_

Running his fingers along the keys, Marco did his best to follow along with the sheet music, hoping to finally get the song right. Though he was not particularly good at playing the piano, it was one of the only few things he actually enjoyed at St. Olga's, right alongside his ballet lessons. In his opinion, he had made some pretty good progress, having finally moved from shorter children's nursery rhymes to longer, more complex songs. He liked to imagine it was because of a natural musical talent he had, but it was really because Heinous forced him to spend several hours a day practicing, only allowing him to stop when he could play the day's piece to her satisfaction.

The boy princess gave an aggravated groan as he hit the wrong note, slamming his head against the instrument's closed lid. Heinous would have torn him a new one if she had seen him treat the grand piano in such a manner, but Marco did not care at the moment. He just wanted to go back to his room.

The boy's internal grumbling was interrupted by a strange clanking noise from above. Looking up, he saw the air vents rattling about as the sound seemed to get louder. Suddenly, the air vent on the end of the room popped open, sending a young princess falling to the floor.

"Star!" Marco cried in surprise, rushing over to the collapsed girl in the corner of the room. "Oh my gosh, are you okay?! What are you doing here?!"

"Marco!" Star threw herself at her best friend, almost crushing him with the force of her hug. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

Marco was stunned. He had never thought he would see Star again. He wanted so badly to embrace the girl, to just hold her and tell her how much he missed her, how much he loved her, and how he was so glad to see her again. But he knew he could not.

Pulling out of her grasp, he asked once more in a less affectionate and caring tone, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to save you, silly!" the girl remarked, surprised the boy even felt the need to ask. "Come on, let's go!" Taking hold of his arm, Star was surprised when she was met with resistance.

"No."

"What?"

"No, I'm not going anywhere. You need to leave." Marco's voice was steady and firm, but inside he was panicking. What if Heinous walked in and found Star? What would she do to her? What would she do if she thought he was escaping? Somehow, he did not think the headmistress would take the time to actually hear him out.

"Not without you, now come on!" Star pulled on Marco's arm once more, upset by the fact he again refused to budge. "Marco, what is the matter with you? No, don't tell me…" her words trailed off into a horrified gasp. "The solitary conform-ment chamber?!"

Marco did not respond to her, instead pulling his wrist free and walking towards the exit. Turning the knob, he found it would not budge. He should not have been surprised, really. He knew it would be locked, but just this one time, he was hoping Heinous would have slipped up. If he could not leave, he was going to have to convince Star to go. "St. Olga's is my home now. I don't need saving."

"Don't worry, Marco," Star reassured mostly herself, under the impression it was the brainwashing and not actually the boy speaking. "I'll have you home and fixed up in no time."

A flash of golden light caught Marco by surprise. Turning quickly to see what Star was doing, he saw the girl in her butterfly form. She was clearly struggling to maintain the form, her powers no doubt weakened by the school's anti-magic security measures.

Gritting her teeth, Star called forth all the power she could, tearing a portal back to Earth open. She could feel the portal threatening to collapse at any minute, unable to sustain itself without her constant supply of magic. "Come on...Marco…" she called to him, unable to turn her focus away from the portal lest it disappear.

Marco was awestruck at the girl's feat. He knew Heinous' tramorfidian crystal prevented dimensional rifts from sustaining themselves, having tried to unsuccessfully cut a portal open himself with his scissors many times. He knew she was struggling to keep it open, all evidenced by her shaking hands, her collapsing form, and the beads of sweat running down her face.

Still, he could not believe it. There was actually a way out of the school. It was so close. Home was right there. He could see his mother, his father, his little brother, his friends and all he had to do was walk forward.

Looking behind her, Star was delighted to see Marco slowly approaching. Turning her attention back to the portal she was upholding, she called forth the last bit of energy she had to open it further.

What Star could not see were the silent tears that started running down Marco's face as he approached. She could not see that the boy was not making his way to the portal, but rather, making his way over to her. She did not see how he stopped just behind her, raising his hands up to her back.

"Get out of here!" Marco shouted as he shoved the girl roughly, sending her flying into her own portal. "And don't come back!" he called after her for good measure.

Without Star's steady supply of powerful magic, the portal suddenly collapsed on itself, quickly disappearing in another flash of golden light.

Marco wrapped his arms around himself, finding himself alone once more. His silent tears became vocal sobs as he rushed to the exit, trying once more to pry it open. In his desperation, the boy began kicking at the locked door with his heels, not caring about any consequence that would come, desperate to break it open.

Unable to even make a dent in the door, Marco collapsed to the ground, burying his face in his hands as he cried.

* * *

Heinous set her hand mirror down on her desk, rather impressed with Marco. Unbeknownst to the boy, she had watched his entire interaction with Princess Butterfly from her office, well aware of the fact her school had been infiltrated. She had contemplated simply catching and throwing the uninvited princess out, but decided against it, curious to see how the boy would react to meeting his old friend. She was almost certain he would have gone through the portal, forcing her to make-do on her threats against his family. Looks like he was not as hopeless a case as she thought.

"Shall I go see to her?" Gemini asked, eager to comfort the boy.

"You'll do no such thing!" Heinous snapped, getting fed up with her henchman's infatuation with Marco. "Guards, escort Princess Turdina back to her room," she ordered, taking enough pity on him to allow him to end his practice early. "I'll have a word with her later myself."

* * *

Hugging his knees to his chest as he sat at the window sill of his room, Marco gave a long sigh, playing with the hem of his dress. Several hours had passed since Star's visit, and though the tears had finally dried up, he could not stop thinking about her. He knew he had made the right choice, but that did not make the heartbreak any easier. At least he could take comfort in the fact he knew she was okay.

Hearing a knock at the door, Marco sat up, bringing his knees and skirts down to the ground. He watched silently as Heinous entered the room, feeling anxious, wondering just how much she knew about Star's surprise visit. Star had not exactly been discreet with her immense display of magic.

"Turdina, you've been here some time now. You've made some decent progress and I think you've earned yourself a little freedom. I've decided you may have free rein in the castle, _but_ ," Heinous' tone shifted sharply, "you are not to leave the school grounds! And I expect you to maintain proper decorum at all times! Understand?!"

"Yes, Miss Heinous!" Marco promptly answered, startled by the sudden change in her demeanor. He silently thanked his lucky stars as the woman did not appear to be aware of what had happened earlier.

Just as she was about to leave, Heinous stopped in her tracks, turning to the boy once more. "And Turdina."

"Yes, Miss Heinous?"

"Don't treat any of my pianos like that ever again."

Marco sucked in a breath, the realization hitting him hard. She knew. "Yes, Miss Heinous."

* * *

Running his fingers through his ponytail, Marco waited anxiously for the new students to arrive. He hated orientation days. Heinous would demand he be at each, parading him around to the incoming students as just another way of crushing their spirits.

Much like everything else in the school, he absolutely loathed it. It tore him up to have to force a smile and watch the joy and excitement drain from the other girls' faces as they realized their last hope was gone. That Princess Turdina had betrayed them all and would leave them to their fates at Heinous' hands.

"Stop that." Heinous slapped Marco's hands away from his hair. She was going to have to find some way to break him out that habit. "Stand up straight, hands clasped in front."

Marco complied, forcing a smile onto his face when he saw the front doors open.

Ushered in by the robot guards, the new students filed into the foyer, huddling close to one another for comfort.

Marco had to look away to maintain his smile, his heart breaking at the sight of the terrified girls. He wanted so badly to comfort them, but what could he say? What could he do? Nothing with Heinous' threats hanging over his family's heads.

The boy was caught off guard when the last princess stepped into the room. The girl was barely above the other princesses' knees, clutching tightly to the skirts of the girl in front of her. She could not have been any older than three, openly sobbing and asking for her mother as the other princesses tried to soothe her.

He was utterly shocked and repulsed. Who would do this? Who would send a toddler to reform school? What kind of awful, heartless parents did this little girl have? Looking up to Heinous, he was surprised to see her unfazed by this though he knew deep down he really should not have been.

Keeping his emotions in check, all Marco could do was silently grind his teeth as he kept the ridiculous grin on his face.

* * *

Shutting his room door silently behind him, Marco stood frozen in the hallway, heart pounding, waiting to see if anything would happen. Though Heinous had told him he was free to walk around the school, he had never actually tried to utilize this new bit of freedom before. He was surprised his door was actually unlocked, almost certain the whole thing had just been a cruel trick the headmistress was playing on him.

Silently tip-toeing through the halls, Marco made his way to the kitchen, making sure to keep his head low as he passed through the dormitories. He did not want to be seen wandering around freely by the other girls. The princesses already hated him enough, he did not need to give them another reason to resent him.

Turning the corner, Marco froze when he caught sight of a robot guard. The guard was looking straight at him, acknowledging his presence with a flash of its eyes. He quickly backed away, wondering if he could make it back to his room before it caught him, but stopped when the robot simply turned away.

Looks like Heinous had not been pulling his leg after all.

Calming his pounding heart, he kept moving, reaching the kitchen without issue.

Marco wasted no time opening the industrial sized fridge in search of something to eat. It was filled to the brim with fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and other essentials, all in bulk. Gathering what he needed, he quickly fixed himself a sloppy sandwich before heading back to his room.

Ducking under the dormitory doors once more, he stopped when he heard the sound of crying coming from a room. The voice sounded high-pitched and young, reminding him of his own little brother's crying voice. He tried to proceed back to his room anyways, but found himself unable to, completely overcome with guilt. With a sigh, he turned back around and peeked through the bars of the door.

Inside the room was the toddler princess from earlier.

Marco knew he would likely get in trouble for this if caught, but he could not just stand by while this poor girl cried her eyes out, all alone with no one to comfort her. Trying his best to keep quiet, he coughed his secret bobby-pin up, using it to pick the lock and open the door.

The crying girl instantly stopped. A look of fear spread across her face as she gasped, scooting further into the bed and farther away from Marco.

"Hey, it's okay," Marco assured her softly, slowly making his way over to her as not to scare her any further. He set his food down on the nightstand and took a seat on the edge of the bed. "I'm not going to hurt you. Come here," he held his arms out as he gently called to her.

The little girl seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then quickly crawled her way over to the boy's lap. She broke down crying once more, wrapping her arms around the stranger, desperate for attention and affection.

"There's no need for that, you're okay," Marco comforted her in the way his mother used to when he was a young child. Though he kept a soft smile on his face for the girl's sake, he was torn inside, knowing there was no truth in anything he was saying. She was trapped in St. Olga's, of course she was not okay! She had every reason to be afraid. Even he had spent his first night here crying. Still, he could not let the girl see his true feelings, knowing it would only serve to upset her further. "What's your name?"

"Lily," the princess answered with a whimper.

"Lily? That's a pretty name." Marco began rubbing soothing circles on her back when he saw her yawn. She was no doubt exhausted, probably having stayed up all night crying.

"I want my mommy," Lily sobbed as she buried her face into the front of Marco's nightgown.

"Me too, Lily. Me too." Cradling the crying girl, Marco began rocking her slowly, singing a Spanish lullaby from his own childhood.

Between her exhaustion from hours of crying and how late in the night it was, Lily was out in a matter of minutes.

Gently tucking the girl in, Marco collected his food and slowly cracked the door open. Ensuring the coast was clear, he stepped into the hall, silently closing the door behind him. When he turned back around, he found himself face-to-face with Heinous.

"What are you doing?" Heinous demanded in a quiet, but forceful tone.

"She was upset. I was just trying to comfort her."

"She's a new student, she is supposed to use this time to think about what she did and why she's here."

"She's three, what could she have possibly done?!" Marco knew he was toeing the line by talking back, but he just had to know: What crazy justification could Heinous possibly have for enrolling a three year old in a reformatory school? "Does she not color in the lines right? Is she too loud when she naps?" he asked sarcastically.

The headmistress narrowed her eyes. "Watch your tone, Turdina. Every girl is in this school for a reason. Never forgot that." Heinous glanced down at the plate in his hands. "And what's this?"

"I was hungry."

"You don't need to be eating a heavy meal this late. If you're hungry, there's fruit in your room." Heinous snatched the plate from his hands, handing it over to a guard for disposal. "Besides, breakfast is in a few hours. Go back to sleep."

"Yes, Miss Heinous," Marco answered begrudgingly as he trudged his way back to his room.

* * *

"You better be on your best behavior tonight, Turdina!"

"Yes, Miss Heinous." Marco winced as the woman pulled a brush roughly through a stubborn knot in his hair. "You know, I can do my own hair."

"Not tonight, you can't. Everything has to be perfect, and that includes you! I don't want to see a single strand out of place, so you better not fidget with your hair tonight."

"Yes, Miss Heinous," he grumbled. Looking down at his lap, he played with the fabric of the dress Heinous had chosen for him. It was a simple, yet noticeably formal, olive green dress with a matching shawl and heels.

Heinous had been chewing his ears out for the past week as she prepared for the upcoming ball with the neighboring prince reform school. It was mostly some sort of parents' night, where the two schools would meet and show off how much progress their students had made. Heinous seemed to be on edge about it, which did not surprise Marco considering this would be her first public appearance as headmistress since he had overthrown her. This was her chance to rebuild both hers and St. Olga's reputations.

Twisting Marco's hair up into a neat bun, Heinous quickly pinned it in place before grabbing a bottle of foundation off the vanity. "I will chaperone you tonight. You are to stay by my side unless I give you permission otherwise."

Marco frowned in response, but knew there was no point in objecting. Though spending an evening by the old witch's side was the last thing he wanted to do, he knew it would only be for a few hours. He could tolerate it for one night if it meant finally being able to leave this prison, even if only for a short while and even if only to another school.

"And Turdina."

"Yes, Miss Heinous?"

"Don't make me regret bringing you."

"Yes, Miss Heinous."

* * *

Marco resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he simply stood by, listening to Heinous drone on and on about something or another. First it had been a lecture given to the princesses she had deemed well behaved enough to go. Then it had been cold and forced pleasantries with Burgess, the head of the prince reform school. Then it had been hours of incessant chatter with interdimensional royals. Was it ever going to end?

Marco was the only princess required to stay with Heinous. The other girls were either with their parents or allowed to roam about freely. Heinous insisted she needed to keep an eye on him, but he was not fooled in the slightest. She knew he would not try anything with the threat of his family's life hanging over his head. No, she was not even afraid he would make a fool of her; quite the opposite. She was parading him around as her trophy; a testament to her ability to reform any wayward princess.

He ignored most of the conversations, just giving a smiling curtsy whenever it was expected of him, wishing he could be hanging out with the other princesses. Not that any of them wanted to. Even months later, he was still getting the cold shoulder from almost every girl in the school; not that he could blame them.

"Ah, this must be the infamous Princess Turdina."

Marco snapped out of his thoughts, looking up to see two royals towering over him. One was a blonde woman and the other a curly-haired man, each with a crown resting atop their head. He would have thought nothing of them had it not been for their distinct six arms. "Your majesties," he picked up the ends of his dress and gave them a bow, trying his best to maintain his happy facade.

"King and Queen Arms, what an absolute delight," Heinous greeted the two, taking the Queen's hand into her own as she gave a small bow.

"The pleasure is ours," the King spoke. "We just wanted to apologize to you again for what Patty did to your school."

Patty? It finally struck Marco in that very moment that these people were Princess Arms' parents. The revelation was followed by the realization he had not once seen the girl since he had arrived at the school. He knew she had taken over as 'headmistress' after he overthrew Heinous, so where was she now?

"Oh, no, I should be the one apologizing to you. I am afraid I failed both you and Princess Arms, but rest assured, it is a mistake that will not happen again."

"Patty was always a handful, even for us and our guards. You can't blame yourself, we knew something like this would happen." The King gave a small sigh as he shook his head in dismay. "Her brother's finally settled down into his lessons at St. Burgess' and with Patty gone, it will only be a matter of time before he's ready to fill his role as the crown prince."

"Gone?" Marco interrupted the group, earning himself a sharp look from Heinous. "What do you mean 'gone?'"

"Quiet, Turdina," Heinous hissed under her breath.

"What? No, I want to know what happ-"

"Excuse us." Heinous grabbed Marco's arm and dragged him away, ignoring his protests as she pulled him to the other side of the room.

"Hey, let me-"

"You are walking on _very thin ice_ , Turdina!"

Marco silenced his objections, suddenly terrified by the crushing grip on his arm and the tone of her voice. He was almost certain she could have crushed his bones into dust if she wanted to. Though he desperately wanted to fight back, he knew he was in no position to be making demands. "...sorry."

"This is your only warning. Do not embarrass me further."

"Yes, Miss Heinous." Marco began massaging his arm the moment she released it from her death grip. Before he could make another move, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning to the source, he froze in place, mouth nearly agape.

"May I have this dance?" Tom gave a deep bow, holding his hand out to Marco.

What was Tom doing here? Marco had so many questions, but knew it was best to hold his tongue in Heinous' presence. Looking to the woman, he saw her give an affirmative nod. He reached out and took the demon's hand, allowing him to lead him onto the dance floor and away from the headmistress.

"Can I just say, you look super pretty," Tom remarked with an amused smile.

"Tom, what are you doing here?" Marco asked the moment they were out of earshot. "Don't tell me you got sent away to reform school."

"No, I'm more of a party crasher." Tom took Marco's hands in his, beginning the first steps to their waltz. "I'm actually here for you. Star said you wouldn't come with her when she tried to break you out."

"That's right. And I'm not leaving with you either." Marco took a step back for a moment, allowing Tom to spin him around. "As soon as this dance is over, you get out of here."

"Come on, don't be like that. I know you don't want to be here."

Marco remained silent for the rest of the dance, refusing to engage Tom in the matter. There was no debating this. He was not going back to Earth or Mewni. He tried to pull away once the music ended, but found himself unable to as Tom linked arms with him, leading him off the dance floor and towards the school's garden.

"Tom, go home," Marco hissed under his breath, trying not to draw any attention to the two of them as they walked along the garden path.

"Not without you." Tom frowned when Marco only turned away in response, trying once more to break free of his grasp. "Don't you want to go home? You can't honestly be okay with this."

"I'm not, but I don't have a choice! Tom, it's Heinous. She's...crazy. She'll kill my family if I step out of line." Marco wrapped his free arm around himself as he looked away, embarrassed by how weak he sounded. "This is all I can do to protect them."

Marco could not deny how much he loathed St. Olga's. The place was a literal prison. He hated every part of it. He hated the lessons, the fake smile he had to keep plastered on his face, the stupid heeled shoes that killed his feet, and the suffocating corsets he was forced to wear day in and day out. He wanted so bad to grab Tom and run back home to his family. He wanted to see his mother, father, and brother again. He wanted to hug Star and tell her how much he loved her again. He wanted to practice karate, mess around with his friends, eat junk food, and just be a normal teenager. He fought hard to hold back his tears, knowing Heinous would be furious if he ruined his make-up.

"We'll fight her. You and Star took her down before, I'm sure you and I can take her down together."

"We can't, she's way too powerful. She's nothing like we previously thought. Her strength really is terrifying. Even with your demon powers, you wouldn't stand a chance. Keeping her here at the school is best for everyone. You don't want to see firsthand what she can do. You should go before you're caught."

Finally freeing his arm from Tom's, Marco turned away from the demon, heading back towards the party.

"No way, not without you!" Tom followed Marco, trying, but failing, to grab onto him once more. "We all miss you. Don't you want to see your parents again?"

Marco froze at the mention of his parents. "Are they...are they okay?"

"Why don't you come see for yourself?"

Turning around, Marco saw Tom holding his phone out to him with a soft smile. Making his way back to his friend, he took the device, noticing a video had been pulled up on the screen. Tapping the play button, his tears flowed freely as the sound of his parents' voices filled his ears.

" _Go to Daddy, Junior!"_

Marco watched his parents' faces light up with excitement as his little brother took a few shaky steps out of his mom's arms and to his dad's. They were okay. His family was okay.

"My little bro walks now," he said with a pang of sadness. He wished he could have been there to see it. He missed the little guy so much. He missed his parents so much. He missed his friends. He missed Echo Creek. He missed Mewni. He just wanted to go home.

"They really miss you, Marco. They want you back. Don't you want to go home?" Tom pushed, taking advantage of Marco's weakening resolve. He reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a photograph, holding it out to Marco as well.

He did. Marco wanted so desperately to go home and be with his family. He hated it at St. Olga's. Things had gotten slightly better for him over the past few months, but he was still absolutely miserable. Heinous was always snapping at him, Gemini just straight-up creeped him out, and the other princesses refused to even look his way, let alone speak with him. He was miserable and alone. He spent every day putting on a smile and a show for Heinous then crying himself to sleep, wondering if he would ever get to see his family again.

Marco ran his fingers over the picture. It was a photograph of his mother and father, both embracing one another as they held Junior in between them. He held the picture close to his chest, imagining for a moment he were actually embracing his family.

"No. I can't." It took all his willpower, but Marco closed the video and held the phone out to Tom, though he still kept the photograph held closely to his chest.

"Star told me this would happen," Tom sighed. "I'm sorry about this, Marco." Before Marco could realize what he intended to do, he suddenly moved forward and grabbed the boy princess' arms, binding them together in cursed chains with a demonic chant.

"Tom, what the hell?! Get these off of me!" Marco demanded, trying his best to break free.

"I'm getting you out of here even if I have to take you kicking and screaming!" Though Tom hated to restrain his friend so, he knew Marco was skilled in karate and could pack quite a punch. If he did not take the proper precautions, he would lose his one and only chance at saving the boy.

Unable to free himself under his own steam, Marco stubbornly sat himself on the ground. He knew it was a childish and immature tactic, but at this point, he was willing to try anything if it meant stopping Tom from making off with him.

"Come on, Marco," Tom chuckled as he wrapped his arms around the boy's waist and threw him over his shoulder. He fumbled for a moment when Marco's poofy skirt flared out and blocked his vision. Setting his friend back down, he reached for Marco's skirt, but stopped as a light blush spread across his face. "You have tights on under here...right?"

"Yes, Tom. I do," Marco answered with a roll of his eyes.

"Good." Tom went to work reaching under the dress to unhook the several layers of petticoats.

"Tom, I said I'm not going. Leave."

"And I said I'm not leaving without you," Tom responded without even looking up from his work. Why were these dresses so complicated? How many layers could one dress possibly need? How did Marco even put this thing on?

Marco sighed, tucking the photograph of his family into the front of his dress. He could not fault Tom for refusing to leave him behind, knowing he would have done exactly the same for him or Star. "You're a good friend, Tom. I'm sorry about this."

Before Tom even had the chance to ask the boy what he meant, Marco let out a blood curdling scream.

In an instant, the two of them were surrounded by several robot guards.

"Marco Turdina, what is the meaning of this?!" Heinous demanded as she headed out to the garden, determined to see what the commotion was about. Her anger morphed into a horrified gasp when she noticed the position her prized student was in.

Tom was confused as several other attendees ventured outside only to bear the same disgusted expression Heinous did. It was not until he looked back down at Marco did he realize just how bad the situation outwardly appeared.

He was standing over Marco, forcefully holding him down in an attempt to remove his clothes as mascara-stained tears ran down the boy-princess' face. To make things worse, his hands were currently under Marco's dress, tugging away at the impossible petticoats. It probably did not help that he had bound the boy's hands together in chains so he could not resist.

"Wait, no, it's not what you think!" Tom tried to plead with Heinous as she approached him with fiery eyes.

"Unhand the princess!"

Tom immediately complied, scooting away from Marco.

Heinous took Marco by his arm and helped him up, grabbing hold of the chains around his wrist and crushing them with one firm grip.

Tom felt the color drain from his face at the display of her awesome power. Those were cursed demon chains made from a metal far stronger than any physical substance on Mewni. Marco had not been kidding when he said Heinous was frighteningly strong.

Satisfied Marco was relatively unharmed, Heinous turned her attention towards Tom. "Gemini, take Turdina back to St. Olga's. I will take care of this _vermin_ myself." Making her way over to Tom, she took hold of his arm in a vice grip, dragging him back inside the prince reform school in search of the headmaster.

Tom suddenly let out a shriek when he felt the bones in his arm snap under Heinous' far too powerful grip.

Marco gasped, suddenly realizing his idea was not as foolproof as he had originally thought it. Though he was able to stop Tom from spiriting him away, he had no idea what Heinous intended to do to the boy.

"Wait, no!" He tried to run to the headmistress in hopes of dissuading her from whatever horrible fate she had in store for the demon, but found himself unable to as several of Heinous' guards blocked his path.

"Come along, Turdina." Gemini took hold of Marco's arm, ushering him away from Heinous and the crowd that was starting to form.

Marco resisted the small man, still trying to find his way around the robot guards in a desperate attempt to help Tom.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Heinous yelled at Burgess the moment he stepped forward from the crowd. "One of your hooligans tried to force himself onto my star pupil! What kind of amoral miscreants are you letting run amok in your school?!"

"I'm offended you think one of my princes would be so misbehaved!" Burgess jabbed a finger into Tom's chest. "I recognize you. You're Prince Thomas Lucitor from Mewni's Underworld. He's not one of my students, but after this little stunt, I'm sure he will soon be. As tempting as it is to take care of him ourselves, I suggest we leave him to his parents. You wouldn't want to start an interdimensional war between your school and the Underworldian Kingdom."

Marco breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Heinous ease her grip on Tom. Though the boy was probably still going to get hell from his parents, he would at least live to see another day.

Certain Tom would be okay, he allowed Gemini to lead him to a portal as he wiped away the last of his tears.

* * *

"Look at the poor girl! You there!" Gemini pointed to a nearby guard. "Fetch the princess a drink."

Marco kicked his heels off as he lay himself down on the couch in Heinous' office, glad to finally be away from the party. He was too emotionally drained to keep up the perfect princess act. At least maybe now Heinous would go easy on him for a few days.

"Are you alright, Turdina?" Gemini asked, fussing over the boy princess. "That wretched scum didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No...I'm fine." Marco flinched when he felt Gemini begin rubbing his back, but resisted the urge to swat him away, realizing he could use the man's obsession with him to his advantage.

"You just tell me if you need anything at all."

"Actually...I did have one question."

"Of course."

"What happened to Patty?"

"Ah, yes, Princess Arms. Quite the unfortunate case. After Miss Heinous retook the school, Princess Arms fled the grounds. Miss Heinous spared no expense searching for her, but was unable to locate her. She eventually turned up back at her parents castle, but by then...well, they felt she had brought enough shame to the royal name already. Since she would not be reformed, they felt other, _more drastic_ , measures were necessary."

"What do you mean...more drastic?"

"I think that's enough chit-chatting for one night, Turdina." Gemini pulled Marco to his feet, leading him out of the office. "It's been a rough night for you. Why don't you get to bed? I'm sure Miss Heinous will want to see to you in the morning."

"But-"

"Goodnight."

* * *

 _Several Weeks Later_

Marco hugged his pillow close to his chest as he tried his best to suppress his tears. Reaching under his mattress, he pulled out the picture of his family he kept stashed away there and looked to his parents' faces.

He had hoped after sometime locked away at the school it would get easier; that he would stop missing his family so much. He had no such luck.

Though he was always able to keep it together during the day, the nights were much harder. It was a struggle to hold back his tears as he recalled what his mother's sweet embrace felt like, what his father's cologne smelled like, and what his little brother's laugh sounded like.

A sob burst from his lips as he held the picture close to his chest. He missed his family so much.

Hearing footsteps approaching his door, Marco scrambled to hide the picture in his nightgown.

"I am so sick of hearing you crying every night, Turdina!" Heinous shouted the moment she stepped into the room, dressed in her pajamas and clearly upset over having been woken up.

Biting his lip as he found a spark of courage within him, Marco sat up and demanded, "When can I go home?! You have your school back! Your princesses have fallen in line! Let me go home!"

Heinous merely crossed her arms with a scoff. "And what about the other princesses?"

"What other princesses?"

"There are still thousands if not millions across the universe who know your name and of the little stunt you pulled. You think your little rebellion ended with the girls I have now? No, Turdina. You wanted to start a legacy and you got it. You think I bring you to every orientation because I like your company? No, I bring you along because you have to set things straight. And not just to me, but to all the princesses of the multiverse. This is your home now! You did this to yourself so hurry up and get used to it!"

Heinous slammed the door shut behind her, paying no attention to the new round of sobs coming from Marco.

* * *

 **Review please!**


	3. Perfect Princess Star

**Welcome back!**

* * *

Marco could already feel his anger rising as the new princesses lined up in the castle foyer for orientation. While orientation time always left him seething at Heinous, his rage was not directed towards her this time, but rather, one of the princesses in line.

Star.

Why did she come back? Why was she not getting the message that he did not want to be saved? Seeing her only served to remind him of everything he desperately missed and could never return to. Not to mention the fact every minute she was here was just another minute she was in danger. Heinous already let Star's first break-in slide, but there was no way she was going to turn a blind eye to a second break-in, especially not when the girl had so brazenly marched through the front door.

Walking up to the girl to give her a piece of his mind, Marco suddenly stopped when he saw tears running down her face. It was then he realized that Star was not here to rescue him.

She was sent here as a student.

He was taken aback when Star suddenly shot him a dirty look, making a point to turn away and refuse to acknowledge his presence.

The little interaction did not go unnoticed by Heinous. "Turdina," she spoke, getting the boy's attention. "I want you to give the welcoming speech today."

"What?"

"Did I stutter?"

Marco frowned, turning to face the line of new students. "Every one of you is here for a reason," he began weakly. He knew the speech by heart, having heard it several times now. Though the words came easily to him, it was still a struggle to actually speak them. It broke his heart to have to face those girls and tell them they were wrong; that they were somehow damaged and should be ashamed of themselves for merely being themselves. "As Princesses, you don't have the luxury of being an individual. You are the face of your family, your royal lineage, and your kingdom."

Marco hesitantly approached the first princess. "You are...uh…" he struggled to continue as he looked the girl up and down. How did Heinous even do this? How did she find it in her blackened, wretched heart to walk up to a complete stranger, a mere teenager, and insult them directly to their face? "Too...untamed."

The princess looked down at the ground, fidgeting with her extremely curly hair.

Marco could tell he had hit a sore spot for the girl when she started toeing the ground, clearly resisting the urge to cry. "Wait, no, it's really-"

"Turdina!" Heinous snapped.

Marco stopped his apologizing and stepped over to the next girl. He searched her over for some trait, something he knew Heinous would consider a flaw, to insult her over, but could not bring himself to do it. He could not bring himself to attack someone over their physical appearance again. His heart was still aching for the princess he had just tormented.

Sensing Marco was going to slip up, Heinous quickly took hold of his shoulders and escorted him out of the room, motioning for Gemini to take over.

"What was that?" she demanded the moment they exited the foyer.

"I just...I can't."

"I expect you to learn how to do this, Turdina. Make no mistake, this _will_ be one of your tasks in the near future. Now go to your room and compose yourself. I better not see any more missteps from you today."

Marco hung his head in defeat, but was glad he did not have to act the tyrant in front of Star or the other girls. "Yes, Miss Heinous."

* * *

"Hey, Star." Marco gave the girl a soft smile as he took a seat beside her. Heinous had ensured the two of them were together for every class, even the ones usually taught on a one-on-one basis. He knew it was for the sole purpose of crushing Star's spirit in hopes she would reform without a fight, but Marco could not deny he enjoyed having Star's company once more. He had missed her so much. It was so nice to be able to spend time with her again.

Star turned away from the boy, getting up to find herself another seat in the classroom.

If only she felt the same way. All Marco could do was sigh as Star took a seat on the complete opposite end of the room.

This had been a regular occurrence the past few weeks. He would try and reach out to the girl and she would rebuff him, turning away without uttering a sound. She had been here for three weeks now and had not spoken even a single word to him, only shooting him dirty and angry looks on the rare occasion he was able to make eye contact with her.

Still, the next time Star looked his way, Marco gave her a soft smile.

* * *

"No, Star, like this." Marco held his hand out, singing a wordless melody to the birds above.

The birds began singing along in tune with the boy, fluttering down from the tree and into his outstretched hand.

Marco could not help but smile as he gently pet one of the birds. "Here, Star." He held his hand out to her, offering to let her pet the creature as well.

Star merely slapped Marco's arm away, sending the bird flying back up towards the branches.

"Now, Star," Ms. Harmony, the vocal coach, scolded. "That wasn't very princess like. Turdina gave us a wonderful demonstration. Why don't you give it a try now?"

Smiling hopefully, Marco waited to see if Star would oblige. So far in her stay at St. Olga's, things had not been going very well for her. He himself was only able watch from a distance as the girl stubbornly resisted any and all instruction. She rebelled in any way she could; refusing to wear makeup, participate in classes, or comply with any order she was given. She caused a ruckus whenever she could, often ending up locked away in the purity isolation chamber for her misbehavior.

Nothing he could do would help her. Any attempts at encouragement would just lead to more outbursts from the girl. He so badly wanted to whisper under his breath for the girl to just go along and pretend to reform so she could get out of here, but with Heinous constantly over his shoulder, he never found the opportunity.

Marco did not know how much longer Star would last here. The girl had lost weight, refusing to behave well enough to be allowed to eat in the common dining room, but even then refusing to eat the meals brought to her room. He could often hear her crying in her room late at night, trying in vain to escape.

The boy princess was caught off guard when Star suddenly rushed forward, knocking him to the ground with a fierce shove. "Star!" he called after her, watching her run out of the room and down the school's halls.

"Guards! Guards!" Ms. Harmony called out, pointing in the direction Star ran off in.

"No, wait!" Marco wanted to chase after them and beg them to have mercy on the girl, but stopped when he heard his name called.

"Now, now, Princess Turdina," Ms. Harmony spoke. "You know better than that. I don't want to see any running from you either. Our lesson will continue, even if Princess Butterfly will not be joining us."

Marco begrudgingly picked his songbook up off the floor, knowing there was not much else he could do.

* * *

A smile spread across Marco's face when he saw Star walk into the dining room. He had been certain she would have been locked away in isolation for the rest of the day considering her earlier outburst. His delight only continued when the girl actually came and took a seat beside him. "Hi, Star."

Star did not respond or even acknowledge the boy's greeting, instead staring directly at the empty plate in front of her.

Marco wanted so badly to reach over and embrace the girl, but resisted the urge, knowing it would only serve to get him, and possibly Star, in trouble. After all, a princess does not publicly display her affections. "Are you feeling better?"

Star made no move or response, continuing to stare at her empty plate in silence.

"Have something to eat. You must be hungry." Marco reached over to the large platters of food before them and scooped a heaping serving of potatoes and creamed corn into Star's dish. He set the plate down in front of her, pushing her eating utensils towards her. He knew she had not eaten anything at all today and with creamed corn, her favorite, on her plate, she was sure to take at least one bite.

But the girl did not move, still staring off into the distance at her plate.

Marco frowned, but did not push her any more. He picked up his spoon and dug into his own food. Next thing he knew, his plate was kicked to the side as Star jumped atop the table, grabbing the front of his dress and shaking him with all her might.

"Marco, wake up!" Star demanded with tears in her eyes. "Don't you remember who you are?!"

Is that why Star had been ignoring him all this time? Did she still think he was brainwashed?

Marco's heart broke. He could not fault her for thinking so, but even then, there was nothing he could do to convince her otherwise. He could not disobey Heinous, lest his family meet their fate at her hands or he and Star be separated.

"Why are you doing this?!" Star demanded, continuing to shake the boy. "Come on, don't you remember!? It's not criminal to be an individual!"

Marco could feel all eyes in the room on him, including Heinous'. He gently unlatched Star's hands from his dress and pulled her off the table, pushing her back down into her seat beside him. "A proper princess does not raise her voice."

Star's tears began spilling over. "You're gone...you're really gone." Her sadness morphed into anger as she grabbed a handful of potatoes, throwing them towards Heinous. "You monster, what have you done?!"

"Guards, take the princess away!" Heinous ordered as she used her napkin to wipe the mess of potatoes off the front of her dress. "Prepare the solitary conform-ment chamber! I want her in there first thing tomorrow morning!"

"No, let me go!" Star kicked and screamed as the robot guards dragged her out of the dining room. "Marco, help!" she called out to the boy in desperation, hoping that by some miracle he would snap out of his brainwashing and help her.

Marco moved to help, but stopped when he felt a crushing grip on his shoulder.

"Sit down, Turdina. Finish your meal," Heinous spoke calmly, though the underlying threat in her words could easily be heard.

Marco silently took his seat as his thoughts ran wild, desperate to save Star.

* * *

Working late into the night, Heinous was interrupted when she heard a knock on her office door. There was only one person it could have been. "Come in, Turdina."

Marco entered the room hesitantly, shutting the door behind him before approaching Heinous. "Please don't send Star to the conform-ment chamber. Don't take her individuality from her. I'll...I'll go in the chamber in her place! Just please don't send her in the morning."

"How admirable of you," Heinous remarked, sarcasm heavy in her tone. "But my decision stands. I have given Star far more leeway than I usually do any other princess. She refused to conform on her own. There's nothing else I can do for her."

Something in Marco suddenly snapped. Maybe it was the months of living in oppressive fear, maybe it was how much he missed his family, or maybe it was Star's cries replaying in his head all night, but something in him finally gave him the courage to stand up.

"What kind of a heartless person are you?!" he shouted, surprising the headmistress. "How do you even live with yourself?! How could you do this to all these innocent girls?! What are you getting out of this?! Is this some kind of power trip to you?! Do you get some sort of sick, twisted pleasure torturing us like this?!"

Marco stopped his frenzy when the pen in Heinous' hand suddenly burst, sending ink splattering across the desk. Judging by her expression, the woman was absolutely furious. His heart began pumping as he realized what he had done. He had messed up big time. She was going to snap his neck as easily as she had that pen. Or worse.

"Come here," Heinous calmly ordered, much to Marco's surprise.

Marco stood frozen, too paralyzed with fear to actually move.

"I said come here, Turdina!"

Her sharp demand got the boy moving.

Marco quickly scurried over as Heinous stood up, pushing him into her office chair. He watched as she reached into the top drawer of the desk and pulled out a hand mirror. "What is-"

"Just watch."

* * *

" _Unfortunately, she's far too loud and talkative," Moon lamented to Heinous as the members of the Magical High Commission all nodded in agreement. "I've tried so hard to guide her onto the right path, but it's all been to no avail."_

" _Not to mention the fact she's been getting pretty cozy with the local Monster population," Hekapoo added._

" _She's also been taking an interest in the forbidden arts," Omnitraxus chimed in._

" _What we're essentially saying is: she's not fit to be Princess of Mewni, let alone Queen. Things have only gotten worse since her Earth friend disappeared. At this point, I'm just worried it's far too late for her and we'll have to resort to other measures." Moon shifted about, as if uncomfortable with the reality of her own words._

" _Rest assured, Queen Moon, I have all the tools I need here to correct Princess Star's behavior. Under my tutelage, she will become the perfect princess your kingdom can depend on. Your daughter will be in good hands." Heinous drew a pen from her desk, handing it over to Moon along with the school's enrollment agreement._

" _Thank you."_

* * *

"What's this supposed to mean?" Marco asked once the mirror stopped. He had already figured out Star's mother had put her into the school. What was she trying to prove by reaffirming this point?

"You've spent a lot of time on Mewni, Marco. Tell me, have you ever heard the tale of Queen Eclipsa?"

"...the evil Queen of Darkness?"

"Is that what they're calling her now?" Heinous scoffed. "Eclipsa wasn't evil. No, you see, Eclipsa's real crime was not being the perfect queen. Unfortunately for them, she was a free spirit who simply could not be tamed. When she finally became Queen, she fell in love with a Monster. She had his child. And for that both her and her daughter paid the ultimate price. Eclipsa was sealed away, left to forever rot in a crystal prison. Her child was cast away, denied her birthright and forever banished from her home. Uniqueness and individuality really are luxuries when you're royalty, Turdina. Eclipsa learned the hard way: It is criminal to be an individual."

Marco remained silent, still unsure of why Heinous was telling him this.

"Star is unwilling to reform on her own, so I am left with no choice. The Magical High Commission is returning for her tomorrow evening and will dispose of her just as they did Eclipsa if she is not absolutely perfect. Is that what you want, Marco? For your friend to disappear? To spend an eternity trapped in some crystal with no hope of rescue?"

"That...that story's not true." Marco looked back down at the mirror, staring at the image of Moon with the Magical High Commission. They would not really do that to Star, would they?

"What makes you so sure?"

From the corner of his eye, Marco saw Heinous place her hand atop the desk, but there was something different about it. It was...purple. Looking up to the woman, he gasped at her completely changed appearance.

Heinous seemed taller as her white hair had suddenly grown down to her waist. Both her arms were purple with claws and a tail poked out from underneath her dress. Her face surprised Marco the most for while she did have a set of horns coming out of her head, it was the glowing clover markings on her cheeks that stunned him.

"Y-y-you're a Butterfly," he gasped. "You're...Eclipsa's child?" he asked, putting all the pieces to her story together.

Heinous nodded in response. "You think I enjoy what I do?! You think you're the only one tormented by the cries of those girls?! You think you're the only one horrified that someone would send a still toddling child away?! You think I like hearing you sobbing all hours of the night?! You think I don't know what it's like to be torn away from family?! I don't want to do this, but I don't have a choice! These girls need me! They need this school! Patty was the first princess I ever failed and it made me realize: You're the threat! You're the one telling them to be who they want to be! Without this school, these girls would all be dead!"

Heinous stopped for a moment, taking a deep breath in an effort to calm herself. Her Monster-like features seemed to slowly rescind back into her body and disappear, leaving her with her usual Mewman appearance. "These girls are royalty, Marco. They are not like you, they don't get to decide what their futures will hold. This is the only way to save them. I'm not proud of what I do, but if it will keep those girls safe, so be it."

* * *

Taking a deep breath, Marco twisted the knob to Star's bedroom, surprised to find it unlocked. Stepping in, he found Star awake and looking absolutely dreadful. Her eyes were swollen and puffy, as if she had spent the entire night crying.

Marco simply stood at the end of the room, unsure of what to do or say. Though Star was still refusing to outright look at him, he did catch her stealing several glances his way, almost as if she were hoping the Marco she once knew and loved would be standing there.

Unable to come up with anything, Marco simply gave Star a weak smile and held his arms out.

"Marco…?" Star asked wearily.

"It's me. I'm here, Star."

Star's face pulled into a smile as she gave a cry of delight, running over and tackling the boy to the ground as she threw her arms around him. "Marco!"

"Oof…" Marco wrapped his arms around the girl from his spot on the floor. "I missed you too, Star."

* * *

"So that's what happened?" Star burst into laughter as Marco finished recollecting what had happened between him and Tom the night of the ball.

"Tom didn't get in too much trouble, did he?" Marco asked, still feeling guilty about the demon's broken arm and now tarnished image.

"His parent's didn't send him to the prince reform school, but I'm pretty sure he's grounded for life. I haven't been able to talk to him since."

"Oh."

Star frowned, noticing Marco had done just the same at the news. She placed a quick kiss on his cheek, hoping to cheer him up. "Your little brother's doing really good."

"Is he?" Marco asked, his expression immediately picking up.

"Yeah. He said 'mama' for the first time a few weeks ago. Your Mom and Dad were so happy."

Marco smiled as he leaned back against the window sill, imagining what his little brother's first words would have sounded like. He was so happy to hear they were doing okay, even without him. He was so happy to have Star here in his arms with him. For the first time in a long time, he was just happy.

Star giggled as she leaned against Marco's chest. She could feel him bury his face into her hair, showering her with quick kisses. "And here I thought I had lost you," she joked. She pulled out of Marco's arms for a moment so she could better sit up, leaning forward to close the distance between the two of them with a passionate kiss.

Marco wrapped his arms around Star's waist, holding her close as he closed his eyes, enjoying the intimate moment.

"I missed this," he remarked with a dreamy sigh when they finally pulled apart, holding Star to his chest in an embrace once more.

"Then let's break out."

"What?"

"Marco, you're free of her mind control!" Star sat up excitedly. "We can break you out of here! We can break all the girls out of here! We can overthrow Heinous again!"

Marco frowned as his chat with Heinous last night replayed in his mind. "You need to come with me."

"Marco?" Star watched as said boy firmly took hold of her wrist, leading her to the door. He poked his head out into the hallway, checking to see if the way was clear before rushing outside with her in tow.

"Come on." Marco kept an iron grip on Star as he made his way down the hall. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he kept checking over his shoulder, ensuring no one was following them. Swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat, he led Star down the lengthy hallway until they were standing at the door to their destination: The solitary conform-ment chamber.

Star was calm for now, but he knew that would not last for long. Suppressing the ache in his heart, he pushed the door open, pulling the girl into the room behind him.

"Marco?" Star asked, her voice filled with fear. "What are we doing here?" She recognized this room, having broken Marco out of it once prior. She tried to pull out of his grasp, but found his grip much too strong. It was actually starting to hurt.

"It's for your own good."

Star could not see the boy's face, but she could hear a sadness in his voice. "Marco...what's going on?"

Hearing the door slam shut behind them, Star gasped. She turned to face the source of the sound only to see two of Heinous' robot guards closing in. Marco released his grip on her just as the robots took hold of her arms, dragging her away from the boy and towards the chair. "Marco! Marco! Help!"

"I'm sorry, Star," Marco answered as he followed behind the robots, making no movement to assist the girl. "I wouldn't do this if there was another way."

"Marco, how could you?!" Star demanded, fighting and kicking against her metal captors. "I thought we were friends! I thought we were...I thought we were more…"

"Only because I love you, Star." Marco could feel the tears welling in his eyes as he watched the two guards strap her into the chair. His heart was breaking at the sight of the girl trapped and terrified out of her mind like some animal. He could hear her calling, begging for him to save her, but knew deep down this was the only way he could.

Unable to face his love any longer, knowing he was the one causing her such distress, Marco ran out of the room and to the observation deck as Star's torturous screams and cries for help continued to ring in his ears.

Allowing his tears to flow freely, Marco reached for the chamber's control lever, setting it to full power.

* * *

Marco looked back to Star as he led her down the stairs and into the foyer. The girl had a huge smile plastered on her face as her eyes shone with a dull light, appearing almost lifeless.

Marco could not help but shudder as he looked away, unnerved by how artificial Star's aura seemed. "Your Mom and the Magical High Commission will be here any minute. Will you be okay without me?"

"I will be fine," Star spoke in a calm, but almost robotic voice. "Thank you for the escort, Princess Turdina." She picked up the ends of her skirt and gave the boy a curtsy.

Marco returned the gesture, frowning as he watched Star's expression never change. "I love you." He gave the girl a quick peck on the cheek, hoping for some small indicator she was still in there somewhere.

Star only stared at Marco with her lifeless eyes, remaining completely motionless and silent with her hands clasped in front of her.

"Goodbye, Star." Marco sighed, picking up his own dress as he headed back into the hall, passing Heinous along the way without a word. He watched from a distance as Heinous opened the door, welcoming Moon and the Magical High Commission inside.

The boy's sadness slowly morphed into an insurmountable rage as he watched the Mewman group delight over Star's emotionless and silent form. He wanted to run back out there and rip the girl right out of Moon's arms. Instead, all he could do was watch as Star's unnerving form followed her mother outside and into a portal back home.

Marco rushed back out into the foyer and pulled the curtain back, hoping for one last glimpse of Star before she left. But it was too late. This was it. Star was gone in every way imaginable.

Feeling a pair of hands on his shoulders, he looked up to see Heinous standing over him.

"There, there, Turdina. No more tears. A princess does not cry after her face is made."

It was strange for Marco. Heinous' voice was much softer than he had ever heard it, a stark contrast from her usual sharp criticisms. He could feel her smoothing out the fabric covering his shoulders, almost as if she were trying to comfort him in some way.

"Was this really the only way?" Marco asked pitifully, already desperately missing Star.

"I've tried for three hundred years to find another way. Royals won't accept anything less than perfection, especially not the Butterfly family. This is all we can do to protect Star."

Marco wanted to fight, but he knew Heinous was right. She herself was a testament to the painful truth she spoke.

Heinous frowned as she stroked the boy's hair, trying to find some way to soothe him. She knew exactly what he was feeling, having faced the same crushing guilt for centuries now. "Marco, you did very well today. I know that's probably not much comfort to you, but I still think you've earned yourself a reward. Perhaps it's time you visited your family."

"...really?" Marco cracked a small smile at the idea of seeing his family, but still remained cautious. This new, empathetic Heinous was not one he was accustomed to.

"Yes. Now, come along. You've missed quite a few lessons today and I still want you to be able to catch this afternoon's lecture on flower arranging."

Marco followed dutifully behind the headmistress, trying not to let the suffocating reality that he would now be helping destroy the spirits and individuality of these princesses bother him too much.

"Yes, Miss Heinous."

THE END

* * *

 **Many of you asked about the timeline of this story in relation to the show. I apologize for not responding, but I did not feel like I could have answered it without blowing some of the plot.**

 **I hope you enjoyed the story! I have another story coming out soon (just a one-shot) that I hope you'll stick around for.**

 **Review Please!**


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